Home demolished in Vera

Some good news for them BUT when will someone in authority acknowledge that none of this should EVER have happened and   it is imperative that swift and generous recompense is a priority in such a circumstance .

Let's hope they are soon back in a home of their own, that Lens health picks up  and they left to live out the rest of their lives in peace.

That is good news, agree with  Sandra, should never have happened in the first place, I hope the Priors will be able to try and lead some sort of normal life and wish them all the best. But, how would you ever get over what they have been through????

Excellent news a small light at the end of a very long tunnel, I wish them well and may good health prevail.

sandra

I think we need a very urgent  basic set of property industry rules regarding planning, legal and justice laws that all EU countries should have to keep to or face strict and instant penalties.  At least that way this sort of abuse should be stopped in Spain. People should be able to feel that the trust we all have to have in the system at some stage will not be betrayed and never again will anyone be treated in the dreadful way the Priors have been. I doubt they will ever get over it at their age, but will hopefully be able make the best of the time they have left once moved in to a reasonable property.

Great news, but don't forget the thousands and thousands of other property 'owners' who are living in illegal builds, who have been lied to, conned, and lied to again by corrupt estate agents, town halls etc. etc.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1243586/If-come-bulldoze-villa-chain-inside-die-Spanish-dream.html

Thousands of illegal properties built over years and years, and no-one in authority noticed???

Athough this is good news for the Priors, the cynic in me wonders if this action has finally been taken to deflect growing media attention away from the abuses that are occuring in Spain right now.

It's imperative therefore that everyone keeps up the media pressure until such time as abuses within the real estate sector, banking sector and justice administration are addressed together with adequate financial compensation where appplicable. This is especially important over the next 6 months as Zapatero takes up the EU presidency.

It's an ideal opportunity to make Prime Minister Zapatero accountable for all the abuses that innocent victims are being subjected to as we speak.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0wk5cK4LU

Write ASAP to richard.king@europarl.europa.eu (parliamentary assistant to Marta Andreasen MEP) with details of your concerns and ongoing abuses, requesting that he bring this to Marta's attention. Apparently she want to bring this matter before the entire parliament for a debate as soon as possible. To do this she will ask to have it discussed as an oral question to the Spanish Presidency of the EU. It' s not certain that the powers that be will allow this to happen, but the more that make contact the better.

My heart goes out to the Priors in their attempt to return to some form of normality after the nightmare they have endured. Let's hope that by being as pro-active as possible that others can be spared a similar nightmare.

Thousands of illegal properties built over years and years, and no-one in authority noticed???

Why should they? For the   councils, happily swimming in  all the extra revenues the properties brought in, it meant meeting their budgets keeping local taxes down and creating jobs.

The  councillors were   obligated  and happy to keep quiet after stashing away the contents of those brown envelopes.

The locals were happy to have employment and reasonable taxes and,  fully aware of the practices of cronyism and corruption, to whom would they have complained?

 Happiness all round.

Who was going to upset the apple cart by telling the Authoritys who, in most cases,   were in on it too?

The Buck appears to have stopped with no-one.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24950.shtml

Oh dear, it's quite unbelievable.

Poppyseed

do you mean it SHOULD be unbelievable?.  What on earth will it take for Spain's authorities to realise the damage they are doing not only to the poor souls who are suffering the abuse of human rights, but to the whole Spanish property industry and everyone involved?. Have they learned nothing?, is it the corruption issue raising it's ugly head again?, or are they just ignorant bullies who wont listen to common sense let alone justice?

Once again sickening, and as ads says, media pressure must be kept up, otherwise I guess it will just  be swept under the carpet yet again until the next group of victims are abused.

Sandra

as usual in Spain, I think the buck has stopped at probably the only people not in on the scam?

This is sick, how many more innocent Brits are going to get it in the neck like this before the Spanish government does something to stop it.

I think we should start demolishing houses in the UK where Spanish families live, I hate the idea of 'eye for eye' but it might make someone in their government sit up if they discovered that for every British house they knock down we would knock down one here belonging to ex-pat Spanish.

It seems the authorities are determined to continue to make the Prior's life a misery. Have they no feelings or compassion, are there no depths they will sink to in this sorry tale?

http://www.thereader.es/en/almeria-news-stories/1698-vera-to-appeal-against-prior-house-compensation.html

Please sign the on-line petition link below to support all those living on the edge thanks to Spains corruption, there is also a facebook group if you are a member.

http://www.thereader.es/en/almeria-news-stories/1698-vera-to-appeal-against-prior-house-compensation.html

Poppyseed

what can you say?, this is so awful.  It's leaving me with a very bitter taste towards Spain. Until this abuse is put right, the many good things about the country seem of little importance.

I agree Goodstich, I am feeling very bad things about Spain right now as my conscience and values wont allow me to ignore them. Am now seriously considering how we extricate ourselves with as little pain as possible. Really regret getting involved with the place at all and certainly don't feel inclined to pump any more very hard earned dosh into it.

Latest news for Len and Helen Prior isn't good.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27734.shtml

Haven't these people suffered enough already?  My heart truly goes out to them, they are such a nice couple and don't deserve all this that is happening to them.

Justin

Justin

So the European court of human rights has decided that prisoners in the UK must now get the vote whatever sort of foul creature they are? yet Len and Helen Prior who have done nothing wrong are forced to accept  the abuse of their human rights without any help from the European courts of humam rights. Hard to imagine anyone thinking this is in any way right?, and they are indeed the tip of the iceburg. 

The comments in reply to the recent info' in the link you provided show once again how Spain seems hell bent on a course of self destruction in the property industry. Will Spain's justice system ever recognise right from wrong?

I keep repeating this over and over but time constraints on the legal processes and accountability by those who are responsible for these long delays within the Spanish legal system is key to effecting justice in Spain. It is no longer acceptable to read reports such as this

"Helen and Len, who are innocent victims of a planning row between Vera council and the Junta, will now have to seek compensation for the loss of their £350,000 home from Vera council who incorrectly issued the planning consent. It is likely that this process will take years, given the perilous state of town hall finances and Spain´s notoriously slow legal system."

Well if it's so notorious why doesn't the EU make them accountable for their malpractice?

Let's hope Magrete Auken and other proactive MEPs take up their case, and bring this whole sorry saga to the forefront of their agenda, and that those in the Spanish legal profession have the moral courage in the interim to strive for urgent reform (time constraints etc) relating to the delays that are crippling the Spanish legal system as we speak. If procedures were in place to ensure that justice was administered in a reasonable timeframe then many of these abuses would be eradicated, as accountability would swiftly fall on those responsible, which in Helen and Len's case would be the Vera council.

.......yet the standard letter we get back from our Euro reps' is that  ''We can't interfere with another member state's regulations''

What a bloody joke!. What on earth is the point of a Eurpoean court for human rights that doesn't back those it represents or come down heavy on those clearly abusing human rights right under their nose, as the Spanish government's been doing for years and shows no sign of changing.

I know many people who live in Spain.  I have family living in Spain.  I take holidays in Spain.  I like the Spanish people and love the country and Spanish weather..............

But I cannot think of another civilised country which has such an antiquated judicial system whose main function seems to be to PROTECT THE GUILTY.

Consumer Rights, decency, integrity and common sense do not appear to exist within the Spanish Judicial system.

It is a total disgrace and at some point if Spain does not clean up its act then it should be thrown out of the EU and sanctions should be imposed.  Mr Zapatero is a waste of space.  All hot air and no action.

Sorry to sound so angry but it really gets my back up.

To have my off-plan deposit 'stolen' by a negligent bank and corrupt developer is one thing but to demolish the house of innocent pensioners, make the man have a heart attack and then continue to treat them abysmally for the next 3 years is in a totally different league………..

The UK is far from perfect and we have our problems but I am sure the UK would not treat innocent people such as the Priors in the way that Spain has.

A total disgrace!!!

Keith

 

Keith

I fully understand that we don't want this to come over an attack on Spain and its people. if the Spanish media has painted a picture of Brits buying abroad as greedy, rich, inward looking etc though, then I wonder how much support Helen and Len and the rest of us are really getting for our plight?. Added to that, Is poor regulation/justice/corruption  just so much part of the system that it doesn't bring the level of disgust that it would in the UK?  I know there has been rally's in support, but I think the courtrooms should be discredited  and those judges responsible for making such huge errors of judgement  shamed as the crooks they really are for putting the Priors through this. As you say it's a disgrace and everyone who regognises right from wrong knows that, but there lies probably the biggest problem??

The Priors are being used as political pawns in the fight between the Junta and regional/local councils.... which many of us identified way back when. The sooner that the EU recognise this and other such cases, the better. They and many others caught up in the property scandal need protection from an ongoing abuse within Spain, an abuse that is being ignored by those in power, and that abuse relates to complete lack of accountability, propped up by a failing  justice administration system.